A Day in the Life
by Kenzie678
Summary: One shots of William and Julia as they adjust to married life, cause we don't see enough of them at home. Some mature themes so read at your own risk.
1. Chapter 1

**The Mysterious Object**

William Murdoch was one of the finest detectives in Toronto, and as such he was rarely as stumped as he was now. Not that he would ever voice his confusion to the constables who were working the case with him. He spent a great portion of his time explaining inventions and theories to George and Henry but now that the tables were turned he did not wish to have this particular phenomenon explained to him.

An unusual scowl graced his features as he looked down at the man who had gotten him into this mess. The smell coming off the body could not have been completely attributed to decomposition, it was clear the man hadn't bathed in months. He had no identification and nothing to suggest his identity apart from the foreign object that was responsible for a fit of giggling from Henry and a deep flush from George. William was hesitant to pick up the object that had drawn such a reaction and promptly ordered Henry to take it back to the station as evidence.

When Julia had walked in and seen the object in Henry's hands her eyebrows all but disappeared into her hairline. The small smirk that he loved so much formed on her delicate lips and under any other circumstances William would have smiled. He did not like the feeling of being in the dark however and vowed to do some research when he returned to the station.

After a brief discussion with Julia he was no closer to identifying the cause of death nor the identity of the victim. At Julia's laugh and suggestion to follow up with the 'intriguing belongings' the man had been found with William departed the crime scene in search of the closest library. Had the scene been less crowded he may have asked his wife about the foreign object but alas he was left to his own devices to discover its identity.

Now that he was married William reasoned that he should be comfortable discussing personal matters more openly. Just the thought of his after-hours activities with his wife made him flush and he shook his head in an effort to rid his mind of such thoughts. He felt as though each passer-by knew what he was thinking of and he hastened to reach the library to be rid of their gaze.

The moment he stepped through the familiar doors William let out a sigh. After a moment to collect himself he made his way into the main reading area to find a book that might enlighten him on the situation. It took only a moment for William to realize that he had no idea where to find such things in the library, or if the public library would even carry such things. He was not about to ask the elderly librarian Mr. Houghton whether they had books on sexual objects. Judging by the man's face and his old age William worried he might have a heart attack at the thought of it.

With a sigh William left for the station empty handed and just as confused as before. Upon his arrival the inspector questioned his lateness, a fact he attributed to a conversation with Dr. Ogden over possible causes of death. Once free from his superior's company William hastily made his way into his office and closed the door. He would assign the constables to work on the unknown object while he analyzed the crime scene and the victim's clothes for clues. William figured that was a fool proof plan to make it through the day. Perhaps in the constables report they would give some hints as to the nature of the object.

The day passed slower than most, with William jumping at every knock on his door. By the end of the say there were no new leads and he decided to visit his wife in the morgue and sort the situation out with as little embarrassment as possible. It wasn't as though they had not shared a bed for months since they had married. He mentally encouraged himself as he made his way down the street to the familiar door and turned the knob.

His wife, dutiful as ever, hardly heard him come in. She was clearly absorbed with her work on the victim's liver which lay in a bowl on one of her side tables. William cleared his throat to announce his arrival and Julia's head spun to face him. A beautiful smile broke out on her face and William momentarily forgot the original purpose of his visit. She walked up to him, removing her gloves and apron and placing them on a nearby chair. When she wrapped her arms around his neck William's hands automatically went to her waist. He smiled down at her, marvelling at the fact that she was his as he often did when he was with her.

She moved to kiss him but William put a finger to her lips to stop her actions. He wanted to be present in the moment whenever he was with her, and right now something was distracting him. He cleared his throat once again and tried to decide how best to approach the topic. Julia smiled slightly, familiar with her husband's many distractions. She waited patiently for him to speak what was on his mind as she traced her fingers over his shoulders.

William finally decided to phrase his question with as much candor and bluntness as possible, knowing that Julia might laugh but would answer him truthfully and without judgement. He took a deep breath, "that object we found today, on our victim." He began. "What was it?" He asked, the nerves returning to him as he gazed into his wife's face.

As he predicted Julia let out a light laugh but moved her hand to rest it on his face. "My sweet William," she said with a grin. "I should have guessed what has been on your mind."

William frowned in confusion, which only made his wife laugh harder. She took a moment to collect herself before answering. "It's a rather ingenious device if you ask me," Julia said, running her hands up and down his arms. "You see it creates electrical pulses of a sort, and when placed on a woman it can cause intense pleasure from what I've heard." She said, again laughing at his obvious discomfort.

"But who would invent such a thing?" William asked incredulously.

"A British doctor in fact," said Julia. "Joseph Mortimer Granville I believe his name was."

William shook his head, still baffled at the idea of electricity being used for such things.

"Oh William don't trouble yourself with the why of such things, simply use the device to find the identity of your victim." Said his wife with a degree of understanding that he greatly appreciated.

William nodded and smiled for the first time that day without distraction. He helped Julia into her coat and the couple exited the morgue, with Julia still giggling under her breath. They walked the familiar path back to their hotel and William found himself lost in though once again. This time however, it was not over the mysterious belongings of his victim. His mind was now focused on a much happier thought. He had a wife who loved him, regardless of his inexperience in the physical aspects of marriage. He looked forward to the rest of their lives teaching each other the endless knowledge that they had. William would readily admit, he still had much to learn.


	2. Chapter 2

**Period Troubles**

William awoke to a dark room and the sleeping form of his wife next to him. Dawn had not yet broken, the birds only just beginning to call outside the window. It took him a moment to identify what had woken him from a particularly nice dream involving Julia and a lovely summer picnic.

He rubbed his eyes and felt a strange sensation on his right leg. His pants felt wet and sticky, as though they had been doused in one of George's sweet drinks he was always trying to force on William. He swung his legs carefully out of bed and moved to turn on his bedside lamp, careful not to wake the woman next to him. The sight that greeted him sent a shiver down his spine and William instantly jumped to his feet, running around the bed to his wife's side.

The bloody sheets were significantly darker under her legs which did nothing to quiet his fear. He ran gentle yet insistent hands over her stomach, her back, her legs, desperately looking for a wound. Julia's eyes blinked open groggily and she immediately moved to sit up, disrupting his frantic search.

"Julia I think you've been hurt," he said, trying to convey the urgency to his wife who seemed more confused than anything else. She frowned at him then moved her eyes to the ruined bedsheets and immediately sighed. She threw the covers back and stood up, ignoring William's hands which flew to her elbows to help her if need be. William's confusion only increased as she frowned down at the bed and began to strip the sheets. He shot her a look as if she'd gone insane, surely the linens could wait until they returned from the hospital.

"Julia I really must insist that we get you to a doctor!" He exclaimed. "You've lost a great deal of blood and I can't find a wound to stop you losing even more."

Julia paused with the sheets in her arms and closed her eyes for a moment, seeming to gather her strength for what she was about to say.

"William I am so very sorry that you had to see this. It's come earlier than I expected but I should have prepared better. Now I've gotten blood all over you and the bed and-"

She stopped abruptly and put a hand over her mouth. For a moment William thought she would be sick before he realized she was crying. Confused as he was William moved forward and wrapped his arms securely around his wife, feeling her rest her head on his shoulder.

"What do you mean Julia? What could be troubling you this much? And would you please let me take you to a doctor?" He pleaded, not knowing what else he could do to help. William felt as though he would burst with all his questions but didn't want to overwhelm his already upset wife.

She sighed again, though this time it didn't seem as dejected as before. "William, what do you know of a woman's monthly cycle?" She asked, no longer crying but looking at him with what seemed to be uncertainty. It was an unfamiliar expression on the face of his wife who was usually so confident in herself.

"I'm afraid I don't know very much," he began, feeling quite out of his element. "There isn't much information in the medical books I've read beyond the fact that a woman needs to go through it to have a child." He said, looking down at her for confirmation.

"Are you having a problem with your cycle?" He asked. "Is that where all the blood is coming from? Honestly Julia we can discuss this once you've been to the hospital." He said exasperatedly.

She laughed quietly and rested her head on his shoulder once again. "No William, this is my monthly cycle. When a woman menstruates blood is released as the uterine lining is shed." She said and William felt a rush of relief flow through him.

"So this is normal?" He asked, almost desperately. "You're not hurt?"

She smiled softly up at him and nodded. "I'm sorry to have scared you, I'm usually much better at concealing it than I was today." She said, not quite meeting his eyes. William took a moment to process the new information and instantly a lot of things fell into place. The nights each month when she preferred to discuss new papers rather than engage in their usual activities. He felt a stab of guilt that she had been suffering without his support for the eight months they had been married, plus the years before that when he could have helped her. William resolved to learn as much about menstruation as he could, but that could wait until daybreak.

"What can I do to help?" He asked in a kind tone that made his wife's eyes water once more. Horrified that he had caused her tears twice in the short time they had been awake he began insistently apologizing. Only when Julia assured him that his kindness had brought on the emotion, and not distress, did he calm down.

He helped her gather the sheets which he assured her he would take to the laundry while she went off to have a bath. While dropping the bloody linens in the communal laundry basket William briefly wondered what the other guests would think. He hoped that no one would investigate further, or assume that a murder had taken place on their floor. The last thing they needed was to be questioned about the bizarre circumstances that had caused the blood on the sheets, something William was determined to learn more about.

He made his way back through the door and glanced around, looking for his wife. He assumed she was still in the bath behind the closed door and walked over to the bookshelf. Scanning Julia's rather extensive collection of medical volumes he selected one regarding female biology and began to read. By the time Julia emerged from the bathroom in a hotel robe William had learned quite a bit about monthly cycles.

Her eyes widened as she took in the bed, which was freshly made with a hot water bottle sitting on top of her pillow. William held out a plate of pastries for her that he had acquired from room service. For a moment he was worried she might cry again but her face broke out in a wide smile. Julia threw her arms around his neck and he was tempted to drop the plate and wrap his arms around her waist. William guided them over to sit on the edge of the bed, Julia's arms never leaving his neck. He set down the pastries and carefully pulled her into his lap. His fingers ran softly through her curly hair and he tucked her head under his chin.

"Thank you William," she said softly from below him. He smiled, pleased that he had helped her in some way.

"Always my love," he replied. He meant it too, his heart would always be hers.

* * *

"I'm telling you George it was most disconcerting, I don't know how women do it all the time with nobody noticing." William said as he paced his office floor. He was still rattled from his experiences that morning and couldn't help but wonder if he were the only man to be so in the dark about lady's issues.

"Well sir they have special fabrics that are meant to absorb the blood." Said George, much to William's surprise. "My aunts would often put me to work in one way or another sir, whether that involved massaging their feet or running to the store for cakes and such." He carried on, unaware of the growing guilt in William's stomach. "Perhaps Dr. Ogden would like a cake sir? I can drop one off at the morgue at lunch time if you're too busy." Said George kindly.

William smiled at the good nature of his favourite constable. "That's quite alright George, I think I'll go see Julia myself. Thank you for your insights, they have been most illuminating." Said the detective with a smile, already planning how he would make it up to his dear wife.

* * *

Julia arrived home later than usual, having been held up at the morgue by an elderly man who had died late afternoon. By the time she made it through the door she wanted nothing more than to collapse into bed and stay there until next week. However, other matters demanded her attention. Mainly William and his incident that morning, waking up in a pool of her blood. She was touched by how he had behaved, but she was surprised at his limited knowledge of a woman's time.

It was moments like this that reminded her how very naïve her husband could be in some respects. Not that she judged him or held it against him in any way, it had simply been the way he was raised. She did her best to educate him when she could and only hoped she hadn't made him feel uncomfortable around her. She was pleasantly surprised to see him sitting at their dining table when she walked in.

He smiled and greeted her, moving to the door to take her coat. Julia smelled hints of flowers on him and her eyebrows drew together in confusion.

"William, you smell quite lovely. What is that?" She asked as he lead her towards the table.

"Oh, it must be from the bath oils." He replied, more to himself than to her. His response only increased her confusion but she let it go as soon as she smelled the meal he had unveiled. It was chicken pot pie, one of her favourites and she looked up at him confused once again.

"William, where ever did you get this? It's not on the room service menu." She said to him incredulously.

He grinned, seemingly pleased with her reaction. "I made a call down to the chef and he agreed to make it tonight's special." He said as he sat down across from her. He poured them each a glass of wine and took her hand that lay on the table.

"Julia allow me to apologize for my lack of knowledge in this area." He said, making her smile softly at his kindness. "In the future I will try to be much more helpful in these matters. For now let's eat and then you can have a nice warm bath, it's all ready for you."

William was momentarily nervous at the long pause before Julia threw herself across the small table and kissed him. His surprise quickly turned to happiness and he was reluctant to ever pull away. The couple shared a smile and began to eat their dinner, all the while Julia marvelled at how she had found a man like William Murdoch.


End file.
